English teacher started year off with newspaper

Each year on the first day of school, Hersey High School students in Arlington Heights arrive to find copies of their school newspaper, The Correspondent, already published and available to pick up.

These so-called "first day issues" have been a tradition at the school for more than 20 years, and newspaper adviser Janet Levin credits a former colleague with the idea, Barry Gadlin.

Mr. Gadlin taught English for 32 years in Northwest Suburban High School District 214, including positions at the former Forest View, Elk Grove and most recently, Hersey high schools before he retired in 2002.

The longtime Mount Prospect resident died Saturday. He was 61.

Mr. Gadlin had been the newspaper adviser at Forest View when he began the "first issue" tradition. Its many benefits -- both for the student reporters and editors, as well as the readers -- reflected Mr. Gadlin's style of teaching, colleagues said. It emphasized lots of reading and writing.

"It's a nice way for the staff to start working together," Levin said. "We come in over the summer to work on it. It's a great way to start out the year."

At Hersey, Levin also combined with Mr. Gadlin to create the school's first mutli-cultural literature class, which explored different texts, representing a variety of cultures.

"Barry was very involved with the selection of the texts each year," Levin said. "We tried to include all types of genres that reflected a lot of different cultures."

Mr. Gadlin's many years in the classroom inspired not only students, but newcomers on the faculty, like Jim Schifferl, who teaches English at Hersey and coordinates its fine arts programs.

"He had a reputation as an excellent teacher of writing," Schifferl said.

While Mr. Gadlin worked to immerse his students in literature and poetry, he also worked with them outside the classroom as the boys' cross country coach in the fall and girls' track coach in the spring.

The veteran of several marathons himself, his students athletes knew that his coaching came from the heart.

"He was very soft spoken and kind, and never yelled," Levin said. "It translated into a great relationship with the kids, who knew he was passionate about literature and poetry."

Mr. Gadlin is survived by his wife of 37 years, Linda, as well as his daughters: Shana (Phil) Switt and Mindy; and his grandson, Jacob.

A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Beth Tikvah Congregation, 300 Hillcrest Blvd., Hoffman Estates.